Refrigeration apparatus including unitary condenser,subcooler,evaporator structure



Oct. 20, 1970 w. "r. OSBORNE 3,

REFRIGERATION APPARATUS INCLUDING UNITARY CONDENSER, SUBCOOLER, EVAPORATOR STRUCTURE Filed March 11, 1969 o l o I l m 0 0| 0 24' l8 o 64 o 36 34 '6 Q 16 T 56 11 62 II 38 ,28 42 o i 7 I O O O o O O INVENTOR.

WILLIAM T,.- OSBORNE.

ATTORNEY.

ted States ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention is directed to refrigeration apparatus comprised of a compressor, condenser, subcooler and evaporator, the subcooler incorporating therewithin a plurality of transversely extending and longitudinally spaced bafiie or deflector members cooperating with a plurality of tube bundle support members located generally intermediate the bafiie members effective in combination to divide the flow of liquid refrigerant during passage through the subcooler into alternately diverging and converging swirling fiuid streams which flow between and around the tubular members of the tube bundle, accomplishing thereby a more eflicient heat transfer relationship between the liquid refrigerant and the coolant circulating through the tube bundle, while also effecting significant reductions in the subcooler space requirements.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is known in the art to which this invention pertains to provide as a part of a refrigeration machine a shell member suitably divided interiorly into condensing and evaporator compartments. The housing which defines the condensing chamber may contain therewithin a refrigerant subcooler, or the subcooler may be otherwise situated. In any event, as is known, the subcooler receives liquid refrigerant from the condenser and by reason of a pressure drop created by valve means in control of the liquid level in the condensing chamber, the liquid refrigerant is forced to circulate between and around the tube bundle in the subcooler in heat transfer relation with the coolant circulating in the subcooler tubes. The subcooled refrigerant is then directed to the evaporator compartment.

A subcooler structure of proven effectiveness takes the form of a plurality of upstanding longitudinally spaced baffle members which function also as tube support sheets and are generally located in the lower portion of the condenser housing. Each baffle in the series is contoured at one end to mate with the curvature of the condenser housing and at its opposite end is spaced from the housing so that alternate baffles in the series provide for the flowing liquid refrigerant what may be termed as a Zigzag or serpentine path as it moves from one end of the subcooler to the other around and through the subcooler tube bundle. A single liquid flow path is thus provided, and necessarily the area on opposite sides of the tube bundle must be suificiently large to accommodate the entire refrigerant volume flow, and as well, the tube bundle must be relatively deep so that an adequate amount of area is available to permit entry of the total refrigerant flow from one side.

The foregoing dictates that at least the subcooler portion of the condenser housing be of relatively large dimensions, and additionally, experience to date has indicated that considerable grinding of the baffles is required to effect good mating contact with the interior of the condenser housing, which, upon occasion, may be bowed or outof-round.

3,534,555 Patented Oct. 20, 1970 ice SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is particularly directed to refrigeration apparatus which incorporates therein a suitably encased subcooler supporting interiorly a plurality of upstanding longitudinally spaced baffle or deflector members arranged in transversely opposed relation and spaced from the subcooler tube bundle on opposite sides thereof, the tube bundle within the subcooler casing being supported by a plurality of upright plate members longitudinally spaced from one another and located intermediate'the bafiie members. Liquid refrigerant from the condenser compartment enters the subcooler casing at one end there of, and by virtue of the pressure drop created through action of mechanism in control of the liquid level in the condenser compartment, refrigerant liquid flows through the subcooler from an entrance opening to a discharge passage therein. Upon entry into the subcooler of the present invention, the liquid flow is divided by interaction of the baflle members and tube support members into alternately diverging and converging swirling fluid streams which completely surround and scrub the tube bundle during movement through and around the bundle.

In this matter, a much more efficient and complete heat exchange is accomplished between the flowing liquid refrigerant and the coolant which circulates through the tube bundle. Further, as will be brought in detail hereinafter, the instant structural arrangement permits a reduction in the subcooler space requirements, and also, assembly of the subcooler is greatly facilitated with consequent lowering of production costs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring more particularly to the drawing for an illustration of a machine incorporating the teachings of this invention, there is shown a centrifugal refrigeration machine 1t) embodying a centrifugal compressor 12 for the purposes of extracting gaseous refrigerant from the evaporator and forwarding it under increased pressure to the condenser.

A particular feature of this invention is the construction of the heat transfer unit associated with the refrigeration machine. Normally, it is conventional that two separate heat transfer units be provided to accomplish the normal condensing and evaporating functions in a machine of the type under consideration. This invention includes the provision of a cylindrical shell member 14 housing preferably a generally elliptical casing 16 which divides the interior of the shell into a condensing compartment 18 and evaporator compartment 20.

Housed by the casing 16 and disposed within the condenser compartment 18 are a plurality of support sheets 22 which mount tubular members 24. The evaporator compartment 20 also includes a plurality of tubular members 26 supported by a plurality of tube sheets 28. Conventional water boxes 30 and 32 (FIG. 2) are provided for the purposes of directing cooling water through the tubular members 24 and 26, as well as the tubular members of the subcooler to be now initially briefly described.

Within the casing 16, there is located a plate member 34 having a passage 36 therein leading to a subcooler, generally designated by the numeral 38, and which is provided with a plurality of tubular members 40. Condensed refrigerant from the condenser compartment 18 drains through the passage 36 into the subcooler in heat transfer relation with cooled water passing through the tubes 40.

The subcooler 38 communicates with conduit means 42 for directing the subcooled refrigerant under control of float valve means or liquid level controller 44 through conduit means 46 to the evaporator chamber 20. As is appreciated, a refrigerant vessel or economizer may be interposed between the conduit means 42 and 46, and the subcooler 38 can be positioned at locations other than that shown.

The refrigeration machine of this invention further includes a pair of spaced perforate plate members 48 and 50 which function to assure even distribution of the refrigerant in the evaporator compartment 20. Also forming a part of the machine disclosed is a compressor discharge codnuit 52 leading to the condenser compartment 18 and a compressor suction conduit leading from the evaporator compartment 20.

Referring now also to FIG. 2, the subcooler 38 of this invention may be contained within the elliptical casing 16 which divides the interior of the shell member 14 into the condenser and evaporator compartments 18 and 20, although as was earlier noted, it may be desired to position the subcooler in a different location. However, in the exemplary arrangement shown, a subcooler compartment 56 is defined along its lower portion by the generally arcuate bottom of the casing 16, along its top by the plate member 34, and at its opposite ends by bulkheads 58 and 60 which may also serve as end closure means for the condenser and evaporator compartments 18 and 20.

Located within the subcooler compartment 56 are the tubular members 40 which extend longitudinally in spaced relation with respect to one another and are supported by a plurality of generally upright and longitudinally spaced apertured plate members 62 which are welded or otherwise secured to the bottom of the casing 1 6. Also located within the subcooler compartment 56 and functioning in cooperation with the tube bundle support members 62 to divide the refrigerant fluid flow into two paths to achieve a markedly improved scrubbing action are a plurality of generally vertically disposed, longitudinally spaced and transversely extending baffle or deflector members 64 which, when viewed in end elevation as in FIG. 1, are segmental or generally pie-shaped. The baffle members 64 are contoured along one surface to mate with the bottom of the casing 16, and are welded or otherwise secured thereto. Welds may also be effected between the plate member 34 constituting the roof or top wall of the subcooler compartment 56 and the tube support sheets or plates 62 and the baffle members 64.

It is to be noted from FIG. 2 that the baffle or deflector members 64 define therebetween a plurality of communicating fluid receiving chambers Q within the subcooler compartment 56, the number of chambers Q of course depending upon the amount of subcooling desired and other factors. Each chamber Q has therein a tube bundle support member 62 located generally centrally of each chamber in a position intermediate the adjacent bafiie members 64, whereby the fluid flow takes essentially the paths indicated by the arrows applied to this view.

More specifically, liquid refrigerant from the condenser compartment 18 drains through the passage 36 in the plate member 34 adjacent one end thereof in generally the location shown in FIG. 2. By reason of the pressure differential between the condenser compartment 18 and evaporator compartment 20 controlled by valve means 44, the refrigerant liquid essentially passes through the fluid receiving chambers Q wherein the fluid flow patterns are basically the same for each chamber. To explain, the refrigerant liquid as it flows between the baflie members 64 is confined or caused to converge and is then forced outwardly by action of the tube support sheets 62 in a generally divergent fashion until it is next confined and deflected outwardly as it moves between a next pair of baflle members 64 to be then again spread outwardly by the next downstream tube support sheet 62. The described alternatively divergent and convergent fluid flow is continuous as the refrigerant liquid swirls downstream through successive chambers Q to discharge opening 66 leading to the conduit 42.

By reason of the novel structural arrangement herein disclosed, the refrigerant liquid is at all times in efficient and complete heat exchange realtionship with coolant counterflowing through the tubular members 40 in the subcooler 38. The liquid refrigerant flows around and between the tubes 40, continuously scrubbing the immersed tubes so that the entire circumferential area of all tubes is subjected to a much improved heat exchange. Further, the unique fluid flow pattern provided by this invention permits a substantial reduction in the depth of the subcooler bundle, and by also reducing the required area on either side of the bundle, the overall condenser dimensions are generally less.

While there has been described a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A refrigeration machine including a refrigerant compressor, heat transfer means comprising a shell member of substantially cylindrical configuration, means dividing said shell member into a condenser compartment and an evaporator compartment, a subcooler communicating with said condenser and evaporator compartments and including therein a plurality of longitudinally spaced and transversely extending opposed baffle members, a plurality of longitudinally extending tubular members spaced from one another for the circulation of coolant therethrough, a plurality of longitudinally spaced plate members supporting said tubular members located generally intermediate said bafiie members in longitudinally spaced relation with respect thereto, said bafiie members and said plate members being effective in combination to direct liquid refrigerant entering said subcooler from said condenser compartment into a plurality of alternately divergent and convergent fluid streams flowing between and around said tubular members in heat exchange relation with counterflowing coolant circulating therethrough, means forming a connection between the compressor discharge and said condenser compartment, and means forming a connection between the compressor suction and said evaporator compartment.

2. A refrigeration machine of the character defined in claim 1, in which the means dividing the shell member into condenser and evaporator compartments is a generally elliptical casing, and in which the subcooler is disposed within said casing in the bottom portion thereof.

3. A refrigeration machine of the character defined in claim 1, in which the subcooler is substantially enclosed References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,791,105 5/1957 Aronson 62-504 3,270,517 9/1955 Clark 52 504 3,365,899 1/1968 Cuny 62-504 MEYER PERLIN, Primary Examiner 

